School lunches often get a bad rap, but some are pretty dang tasty. I thought I'd take a break from strictly gaming articles to whip up some posts focusing on some other retro and nostalgia themed articles and lists. This one has been in my head for some time, so today seems as good a day as any to dive into school lunches. I was a child of the 80's and teen of the 90's, a time when school lunches weren't as focused on nutrition as they are today, so many of these meals just wouldn't fly today. Which is a shame, because they're friggin' delicious!

#5 Flying saucer (a.k.a. UFO's)

This tasty meal might have been very regional and I wasn't able to find a photo of it. A flying saucer is a ground ham patty, topped with a scoop of mashed potatoes and covered with melted, atomic yellow cheese. Certainly not the most healthy selection, but it was always a hit when the flying saucer landed (pun intended) in our school cafeteria.

#4 Biscuits with hamburger gravy

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The cousin of the delicious breakfast meal, biscuits with hamburger gravy are a heavy, filling and tasty meal that utilizes simple ingredients to create something that's great for cold days.

#3 Pizza rectangle

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OK, who doesn't love the school lunch staple, the pizza rectangle? Its as basic as basic gets and usually pretty poor as far as pizza goes, but kids are happy to have even mediocre pizza and my cafeteria always made pretty good pizza rectangles.

#2 Goulash

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Definitely a personal favorite. My school made wonderful goulash, with elbow pasta, ground beef and a tasty red sauce that prominently featured fennel to give it a unique flavor that I just haven't been able to replicate as an adult.

#1 Chili and cinnamon rolls

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Either you're applauding this choice or completely confused. You don't pour chili on the cinnamon rolls, but eat them along with the chili and if you're bold, you might even dip the roll into the bowl. The pairing of chili with cinnamon rolls is a very regional combo that most people have never heard of, but if you've never considered matching spicy chili with sweet cinnamon rolls, you're missing out. The salty/sweet combo really works its magic here and cinnamon pairs naturally with chili. Some chili recipes actually call for cinnamon in their blend of spices.

Sounds weird, but so does chicken and waffles. Trust me, its amazing.

What do you think? What are/were your favorite school lunches? Let's discuss!